Board Specifications
DIMENSIONS: 6.4 X 12 X 19 ¼ X 13 3/8 X 2 1/8 - SINGLE FLYER SWALLOW

Purpose
I guess the purpose of this design is to explore the feel of the tri fin concept being a close cousin of the thruster which are all members of the single fin clan. Personally I do not see the point in going back to the single fin era, they are just a little slow to react in my opinion (just watch an oldish surf movie and you will get my drift) If however, you put some small fins up on the rail of a single fin the board will go on rail a little more spritely but not as empowering as the current thrusters that have bigger demanding front fins. I have the feeling that if the dominance goes back to the centre fin, power surfers may be able to exert more concentrated power off the top and bottom, at high speeds particularly.

MUZZAS RAMBLINGS
I fished out an old single fin design that I had modified recently that Guy Ormorod ripped on in the seventies. It was a single flyer swallow with a dropped wing and readers may be familiar with a front page cutback of Mick Fanning that looked suspiciously like a single fin hack from the past, and it was; in fact it was this file that I am now referring to, that I have started with in order to refine it into a hybrid Tri fin concept. I figure, it makes sense to start with something that already seems to work.

Rocker wise I have kept the nose entry low and seventies minus the beak but have flipped the tail the last 2 feet. The fin box containing the 6 ½ inch tall glass single fin is situated 6 inches up from the tail c/f  a thrusters rear fin commonly at 3 3/8 thus allowing the surfer to move forward off the tail for drive and reach. The added tail lift is shadowed by a single clinker channel designed to add squirt.


The drop wing situated adjacent to the tail channel through the wing is meant to aid bight and projection. Also placed very close to the drop wing are the very small (c/f to a thrusters) front fins- around the GL size which will encourage the rail to bury early but not as forthright as the bigger side finned thrusters. The trade off is the dominating size of the centre fin and it‘s position up from the tail. The small side fins are positioned similar to a normal thrusters but the cluster is a lot tighter because of the single fin’s distance up from the tail being 6 inches or more. Theory is that the tighter cluster will insure looseness but the leverage of the big centre fin will deliver the speed and drive and hopefully control at mac speeds (remember Barry Kanapuini); now there is a guy that could lay a good bottom turn during the single fin era! The area forward plan shape also promotes more drive without reducing the east west freedom kept alive by; forward centre fin, extra tail lift, tight fin cluster, flyer on the rail and smaller side fins. Critical to this design will be the size and position of the centre fin.

Prediction
I am under no illusion that this design will work in powerless waves, the tail is too narrow and there is too much area forward. I reckon that over 4 feet it may come into its own. For those who have dreamed of that full committed bottom turn at high speeds; may delight in this design, simply because if it can be laid over confidently at mac speed, it should project off the top without any loss of speed allowing a surfer to be more committed off the top as well. I think it will not be a design that will encourage a particularly busy type of repertoire, but may suit those who want to execute less of, but more quality and more committed turns. Mature surfers might find their niche with this concept. Will keep you posted. - muzza

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